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Surgical Burden of Disease Meeting
Seattle, Washington - April 15-17, 2008
The Burden of Surgical Disease and Access working group (email) seeks to promote collaboration, improved data collection and analysis as well as publications in peer reviewed journals. The group met for the first time in Seattle, Washington on April 16, 17, 2008 (meeting website) with support from the University of Washington and Operation Smile. Conference participants are inviting global participation to develop consensus on key definitions, explore effective coverage of surgical and perioperative services, and promote improved data collection in low- and middle-income countries and counterpart humanitarian organizations providing surgical services. The group will also evaluate barriers to access and delivery of surgical services in low-resource settings. The working group includes surgeons, including many plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, public health and metrics specialists, epidemiologists, economists and other physician and doctoral scholars. The meeting has catalyzed the beginning of a dialogue exploring the role of surgery in public health, and advocating for sustainable support of global surgical programs, including life changing facial plastic surgery, among international donors, the WHO and national health systems in all countries.
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